Cognitive behavioral therapy specifically designed for grief led to greater short-term improvement in prolonged grief symptoms compared to supportive therapy, according to a recent trial.

The randomized clinical trial assessed the efficacy of grief-specific cognitive behavioral therapy (PG-CBT) compared with present-centered therapy (PCT) in participants with prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Conducted across four German university outpatient clinics, the trial enrolled 212 participants aged 18 to 75 years who were diagnosed with PGD. Participants were randomized to receive either PG-CBT, which includes grief-focused exposure and cognitive restructuring techniques, or PCT, a supportive therapy focused on managing daily stressors. Each treatment included 20 sessions over approximately six months, with follow-up assessments conducted at 12 months post-randomization.

Published in JAMA Psychiatry, the trial’s primary outcome was PGD symptom severity, measured via the Prolonged Grief Disorder 13 scale. Results showed that PG-CBT produced significantly greater reductions in PGD severity immediately post-treatment compared with PCT. At the 12-month follow-up, the difference in PGD severity between groups was modest, with PG-CBT showing a slight effect over PCT that did not reach statistical significance. PG-CBT also demonstrated a significant effect compared with PCT at 12 months in reducing comorbid depressive and general psychopathological symptoms, reflecting specific secondary outcomes at follow-up.

Both PG-CBT and PCT produced large within-group improvements in PGD symptoms, with effect sizes of Cohen d = 1.64 for PG-CBT and Cohen d = 1.38 for PCT. Dropout rates were comparable, with 20% of participants discontinuing PG-CBT and 16% discontinuing PCT. The findings indicate that both PG-CBT and PCT were effective in reducing symptoms of prolonged grief in this trial.

Full disclosures can be found in the published trial.